Practice Areas · Advisory & Growth · Business Agreements · Agreements & documentation · Founders' agreement
Founders' Agreement
Setting out the terms between co-founders — equity, roles, vesting, and exit — before problems arise.
What a founders' agreement covers
Most co-founder disputes come from things never agreed in writing — who owns how much, who decides what, what happens if a founder leaves. A founders' agreement settles these while the relationship is good, and is far cheaper than the fallout when it isn't.
The firm drafts a founders' agreement tailored to your venture, covering the issues that matter most.
What it covers
A founders' agreement typically covers, including:
- The equity split and capital contributions
- Roles, responsibilities, and decision-making
- Founder vesting and what happens on exit
- Intellectual-property assignment to the company
- Non-compete, confidentiality, and dispute resolution
How we work
- 01
Understand the venture
Get the founders, the split, and the plans clearly.
- 02
Draft
Prepare an agreement tailored to your situation.
- 03
Review together
Walk through the terms and refine them.
- 04
Finalise
Finalise for signature, ready to align with the company's documents.
Why work with PBT
PBT helps founders agree the hard questions early and clearly.
- An agreement tailored to your venture
- The issues that cause disputes addressed up front
- Aligned with the company's MOA/AOA and any SHA
- Clear, plain-language terms
- Scope, deliverables, and fees agreed in writing up front
Frequently asked questions
When should we sign a founders' agreement?
As early as possible — ideally at the start, while everyone is aligned and before equity and roles are contested.
What is founder vesting?
A mechanism where a founder earns their equity over time, so a founder who leaves early doesn't keep their full stake. We build it into the agreement.
How long does it take?
A tailored founders' agreement is typically drafted within a few days of understanding the venture.
Put your founders' terms on paper
Tell us about your co-founders and venture, and we'll draft the agreement.
Send an enquiryThis page describes the nature of the firm's services and is not a solicitation or legal advice. Thresholds, timelines, and applicable registrations depend on your specific facts; engagement terms and fees are agreed in writing per assignment.